, 1887-02-11
TwIsTLE TON, 0. Q.


lWlStlctOn S procedure at ~DrcdkIasti WHICH
was more extraordinary to me than his
strange appearance The egg he was eat
Ing was. TO any one with n sense Of smell,
manifestly q bad one. Il most portentous
fact to me, who remember hearing
Twistlcton-who never knew any Grim
mai llw-seriously tell the boy from the
Cocl that he believed n bill of attaindcr
would lie against him for bringing him n
had egg. What did it all mean | looked
ut the paper in my hand, on II were two
words, neatly printed: Charley Col
ston.'
| stared blnnkly at Twistlcton. What
did 1t mean Twistleton was shaking
visibly.
DO YOU believe in ghosts'' he asked,
a~nXiously
..Certainiy not. | replied.
All sighed Twistleton, and added,
sentcntiously "'rhere are more things in
heaven and earth than are dreamed of In
your philosophy" This was the only
quotation / ever heard him utter that did
moi come from the law reports. | believe he
fancied It was n phrase he had invented in
his carly youth when he first began to be-
licve in ghosts
m you don't believe in ghosts, who
wrote Int message on my typewriter
Twistlcton's manner was very impress
siNe / felt like a witness committing
perjury.
4 tell YOU. | found it this morning
'.hcnl went TO write n letter just before
breakfast, Who wrote IT." he shouted.
W no wrote IT. | will know"
Perhaps Foss, " 1 suggested.
He has not been here. and can't Use
the typewriter.
heard hin say so, but did not believe
II. Fo,4 was afraid OF o~verworking him
sell, and 50 did not choose to learn 1t,
but any fool could use 1t II he liked to
learn My opinion was that Foss could
use it, lie was like the monkeys, who, rs
the negro said, could talk II they would,
but knew II they did they would he made
TO work.
How about the laundress'' Isuggested.
All. the %laundress, - repeated Twistle-
ton, ~thoughtfully; the laundress
So Mrs. Buttick, the %laundrcss, WAS sent
for when Foss came in, but she denied all
knowledge OF the typewriter or the writ
ing, making II new suggestion, which did
not, to our thinking, much advance the
solution OF the mystery, and that was that
the cnlprit was the cat.
1t is II message, said Twistleton, mys
teriously; n messagel'
'\onsenser' | said. Some fellow has
strolled in and written the name for fun. y
'Fun!'' cried Twistleton, Indignantly.
"Funr' And then, more quietly: NO, |
am sure Of 1t 1t is II message"
Very little of Buncombe VS.. Badger
could 1 get into Twistleton's head that
day. Plans and specifications he seemed
not to understand, the seductive literary
style of the affidavit had no charm for
him. lie could only gaze at the paper in
his hand and murmur, ever and anon "a
messagei'
saw it was best to humor him, and at
my suggestion the typewriter was locked
up that night, and he took the key with
him into his bedroom We had had n
rafting good dinner together, and when |
left Twistleton he was in much better
spirits.
III the ghost comes tonight he won't
be able to get Mt the typewriter, anyhow, ~
| said, laughing
"Hushi | don't know, " replied Twis-
%tleton. solcmnly. 1T is no testing sub.
jcct."
went my way, wondering how IL man
with Twistleton's practice could believe
In ghosts, aud who the deuce had writer
Charley Colston's name on the type
writer.
The next morning / walked down Il
Twistleton's directly after breakfast.
found him In the widest imaginable con
dition He had taken every %precaution
locking up the typewriter, placing the key
under his pillow, and yet here was tn,
message, as he called 1t, printed in cleas
faultlcss style; Charley Colston lie I,
witt your wife, Charley Colston.n
| must goi | must 20. Oh Penrose
what shall | doy' he cried In agony, rs
entered the room.
"Go,n | said, and who IL Ia lend in Bun
combe ". Badqsr'
lie was silent, and buried all Of hi
face. except his whiskers, in his hands
Even his hands, large and uncouth n
they were, could not contain his whisk
ers.
''rhiuk OF Writson X lame, What viii
they snyf' | urged, seeing the effect TIM
my words had OH him. They rely on yot
In this case
Tn name Of this eminent firm seemet
to calm Twistleton TO some extent,
My dear Penrose, " he said in "A trcm
bling voice, this is n message, | am sur,
of it. But | viii do my duty; | will stay
by my clients
''rwistleton you speak like a queens
counsel and II man Of honor, - said |, seiz
ing him by the hand, proud To shake il
"lf it is a message" | added to humol
him, , lit will come again tonight
will tell you what we will do. We will
witch the typewriter all night
Twistleton wrung my hand with graft
tude mt this suggestion OF mine, anC
claimed himself. made him eat some OF
his cold chop. and sent for some brandy
aud water for him instead of the ten,
which had already stood in the teapot fol
more than an hou Then | cndeavored
to coach him Ia Buncombe against
Badger. but with small success. Then
we went over to the appeal court, In
which | took my seat, for though ! was
not briefed In the case | had nothing else
10 do, and was Interested In seeing how
Twistleton got ON with It. He was very
able at picking up II case rs he went
along, and the court of appeals stood
greatly in awe Of him. had never seen
him a. nervous as he was ~to-day-not
even on his wedding day-nnd | was quite
frightened for him,
Lord Usher. NJ. r., supported by
Smugg, L. l.. and Summerbosh, l. j.,
formed the court. Twistlcton came In
late; he had been Mt a consultation As
he entered | heard two solicitors clerks
say To ench other.
"Who is that with the whiskersi'
'Twistleton, q G He has the biggest
practice al the bar "
lie looks like a boiled owl, " suggested
his companion.
Drinks, | believe, 80 was the reply.
This wne horrible for Twistlcton was a
follower OF Prchendary Falutin. the great
tcetotaler.
But certainly Twistleton had u dis
sipated look this morning. His eyes were
red, and the lines under his eyes were very
dark and hollow. His cheeks were palc
and yellow. Something of the kind. |